Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Notebooks Sport Intel Small Business Advantage

By Nathan Eddy |
Posted 2012-05-02

Lenovo announced the availability of products featuring Intel Small Business Advantage, a software tool that helps simplify security and PC maintenance.

The Intel software will power a Lenovo Solutions for Small Business (LSSB) package, featured in the recently launched ThinkPad Edge E430 and E530 laptops. LSSB is designed to enhance security and productivity by automating routine security and maintenance tasks.

The software manager feature in the LSSB portfolio helps actively guard against cyber-attacks by monitoring at the hardware level. It also monitors the program for changes in settings and will provide an alert if a change has occurred like the firewall being turned off.

Not all SMBs have the resources to support IT departments, which can leave their PCs unmanaged and vulnerable to security threats and data loss, said John Bischof, director, small and midsize business at Lenovo. LSSB on the new ThinkPad Edge products is simple to manage and intuitive for maintaining performance and providing security coverage.

The solutions after-hours maintenance feature wakes the PC from sleep to perform maintenance outside normal working hours. For example, assuming that work hours are from 8 to 5, the device will wake up at night, and run maintenance and backup while you sleep. The USB Blocker assigns a passcode to each device, which allows businesses to manage which storage devices can access and save information, and the Enhanced Backup and Restore function protects against losing data through PC errors, viral attacks or theft by automatically backing up critical data.

Intel SBA frees small-business owners to focus on their businesses because it ensures PCs run at a higher performance, automatically backs up data and checks for the latest software updates and provides multilayer virus protection, even at the firmware level, said Dan Russell, director of business client solutions marketing at Intel. By incorporating Intel SBA into their ThinkPad Edge portfolio of small to midsize business laptops, Lenovo is ensuring that SMB owners are free to focus on their businesses and not left worrying about their PCs.

Lenovos ThinkPad Edge 14-inch E430 and 15-inch E530 notebooks are available through partners, offering the latest Intel Core processors and integrated or discrete graphics. The notebooks also feature fast boot up, an optional up to 1TB of storage that can be combined with solid-state-drive storage, USB 3.0 ports and a high-resolution Web camera. The ThinkPad Edge E430 and E530 are available through business partners and on Lenovos Website, starting at $549.

The technologies will be on display in Lenovos Accelerate 2012 Product Showcase, the companys second annual North America channel partner conference, designed to provide Lenovos business partners with an opportunity to see the new products firsthand, and learn about programs and solutions from Lenovos top channel business leaders.